Getting to Know You...



“But that was last summer. Every summer we try again… with hope of renewed relationships.”

-Marissa Nicholson, from “The Old Battle Axe”



Through Marissa’s raw and humorous tale of her grandmother, her love of family becomes clear- food, vacations, and even shared turmoil links her with siblings, parents, (and for better or worse) her grandma. As a special education teacher, Marissa faces daily challenges of understanding students who (like family members) communicate differently. Just like her reoccurring vacation effort shows her commitment to family, it demonstrates a dedicated personality. Each school year she tries again, renewed with hope to connect/understand/influence those around her, be it in the classroom (or a cabin in the woods).

-Molly Hickey



“As the day continued, the hikers began to spread out as some stopped to look at wildlife while others plowed ahead at a quick pace.”

- Jennifer Phillips, from “Camp”



I have learned that Jennifer is a very thoughtful person. She likes to take all the information from the writing project and think about, then present her ideas. There is a sense of caring and doing what’s best for her students. - Kathy McCarthy



“My eyes aren’t open yet, but I know the events that are taking place.”

- Kathy McCarthy, from “Small Moments”



By reading Kathy’s work, I learned that she values family and relationships. She is motivated to understand how connections to people, things, and feelings influence how people act and see the world. It made me think how every person, group, family has a story that can be read through the eyes of each other and the surroundings that are reflected in their eyes.


Her story highlighted the power of the past. Everyone takes all that they have known, learned and felt to inform their decisions. Her eyes are not open (in the quote). This is like not having learned but having a sense of knowing, intuition, and the want for answers and education.


I see this reflected in the classroom. It is our mission to open the eyes of others through education, to challenge and broaden while understanding the benefit of predictability and the comfort in routine. Predictability and routine take the load off of processing and allow for the focus to be on new learning.
 - Marissa Nicholson


“Looking at the flame colored hues of the rising sun, Clemmy remembered. She hustled to the garden digging with her hands, scraping along the dirt and revealing a large bundle. Unsure of what was happening, James and Virginia held their distance.”

from “A Story of Civil War Courage” by Molly Hickey


Molly’s children’s book revealed to me many of her qualities and talents. This rich family story, accentuated by a family heirloom passed down through the generations, illuminates Molly’s connection to and passion for history as well as her ability to bring it to life for her students.
 -Jennifer Phillips




By sharing our stories, we have had the pleasure of being able to glimpse into each other’s lives, which has opened up dimensions of personality and values of our group mates that would not have been exposed through discussion alone. It also showed us the strength and inspiration gained during the writing process from having collaborative feedback and an authentic audience. It reminds us of how much we can learn about our students by reading their writing and how much they gain from sharing their writing with an audience.


Written by: Marissa Nicholson, Molly Hickey, Kathy McCarthy, and Jennifer Phillips